The Shade after the Dawn
by Elliot Pole
Summary: Bella is bored after thirty years of marriage to Edward. She wishes she could do something over. A green creature grants her wish and she ends up killing herself when she jumped off the cliff.
1. Chapter 1

**The Shade after the Dawn**

**Chapter One**

The year was 2037. Bella and Edward Cullen had been married for three decades. But now Bella was bored.

It is not fun to wake up to the same face every single day, especially when that person never ages. Furthermore, "waking up" isn't the correct term, since vampires never sleep. Nor do they dream. If Bella could just dream again, even if it were a nightmare, she could be happy. But no. Every carking day was the same.

In the morning she got dressed and went to school, pretending to be a senior in whatever town they were in. At the end of her supposed senior year, she married Edward, pretended to attend college out of state, then the Cullens moved to another place and started the whole cycle all over again.

She was fed up with this life now. Her original school friends were in their late forties, early fifties. Either that or dead. Mike Newton had died two years prior from a can that fell on his hand from a flying car. People still ignored the No-Littering Signs on the Skyway. Arguments for why these signs were ignored included: a) no one would be able to tell who did it, and b) the world's population was large enough as it was. Who cared if one more person died?

Bella only knew about Mike because she sometimes visited Forks to relive her fondest memories. Being in love with Edward had been so grand back then. But when she visited Forks she kept a low profile lest someone recognize her.

If only, if only…

There was a _poof! _and a green creature with a long nose and short skimpy legs appeared. Bella shrieked.

"Please do not be frightened," the green creature said. "I am Labkas, and I have come from the land of If Only to grant you one wish."

"I don't wish for anything," Bella said, stubbornly.

"You were thinking If Only. You are a supernatural creature, and every supernatural creature is allowed one If Only wish."

"Okay, okay. Maybe I was thinking 'If Only.' But I didn't mean anything by it."

"Yeah right, toots. If you didn't mean anything by it, I wouldn't be here. I know my business. There is some you truly, truly want to happen. But I can't make it happen until you tell me what it is."

"My husband wouldn't like it."

"Ah, but your husband has already used his If Only."

"He has?"

"Yup. Back in 2005. He wished to meet a girl that he would love forevermore, so much that he would commit suicide if he lost her. That girl, of course, is you."

"Wow." Bella sighed. So Edward had badly wanted her. And here she was wondering what would've happened had she died and not become a vampire.

"Ah, now I know what you desire," Labkas said. "And now, it shall be—"

"No!"

"You hesitate?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, but if you don't use your If Only now, you will never get another opportunity," said the green creature. "Which means you'll be stuck with your boring life forever."

"Fine, fine. Just give me a second to think about it."

The green creature waved his hand in assent. Bella thought about all that had gone on…marrying Edward, breaking Jacob's heart, raising Renesmee. What a life. But she have lived it already, and there was nothing fresh. It was time to see…what would have been.

"Okay, I'm in," Bella said.

"Peachy," said Labkas. He held out his right hand. Bella took it, and felt a rush through her body. Her If Only was not about to be a reality.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Shade after the Dawn**

**Chapter Two**

I was ready to jump. For an instant, an idea flashed through my head. What if Jacob saved me and then I found out Edward was going to commit suicide and had to rush to Italy to stop him? And then later we got married and had a baby…

But it wouldn't happen. It was all fantasy. And now I would jump. So I did.

As I fell toward the crashing waves, I couldn't help screaming. It was as if the scream were pulled from my throat, unintentional, but there nevertheless. In that instant, I knew that I was about to die.

I tumbled into the waves, and for an instant thought I felt strong hands grabbing me, willing me out of the water to safety. But no such thing occurred. The waves were too heavy, and my own strength had been taxed. I began to sink.

And that is how I, Bella Swan, became a ghost.

Shortly after I died, there was some nagging in me, telling me I needed to be somewhere, bodiless though I was. So I drifted, going where I ought. I ended up at a house, which I supposed must have been my abode in the life I had just abandoned. I knew that I had died by my own self-will. No other human intervened in my death. It was me alone that had done it.

I entered the house by slipping through the solid door. Without a body, there were no barriers for me. And then I saw the girl in a chair.

She had marble skin and was very petite. I did not remember her name, but had a feeling I knew her in my past life. She seemed to be waiting for someone. _Me? _Perhaps. But I could not tell her I was here.

Hours passed. Then, suddenly, a pained expression came on the girl's face, her eyes closed. I could sense that danger was near. Or rather, something she wished to avoid. She opened her eyes, got out of her seat, and left the house.

A few moments later, a man strode in, weary from his work. "Bella?" he called. But no Bella came. The man's expression grew worried. He picked up the phone and dialed a number. No answer. He called someone else, and someone after that, but whoever this Bella was, she was nowhere to be found.

I grew bored and left the sordid abode. Imagine, a ghost getting bored! But human affairs didn't interest me anymore.

Thus I drifted. And a long time later, before the dawn had set the day after I died, I arrived at a mansion, which I knew I had some connection with.


	3. Chapter 3 Edward

**The Shade after the Dawn**

**Chapter Three: Edward**

I had come to Italy to provoke the Volturi enough that they would want to have me killed. Vampires normally cannot be killed, but the Volturi know a way. Alice had told me that Bella would commit suicide, and though I hated to admit it, life without Bella would be unbearable. Which was why I wouldn't allow it to occur.

Standing in the shadow beneath a sundial, waiting for the sun to set, I saw Alice coming toward me. She wore a dark robe and a mask so that people wouldn't see her sparkle, but I knew the disguise. She was alone.

"What are you doing here?" I growled, when she reached me.

Taking off her mask, she gave me a concerned look. "Edward, you can't do this!"

"Watch me."

"You have to live! I'm sure there's another girl as good as Bella…"

"There isn't, Alice. Bella was the only one for me. And now that she's committed suicide, there's no reason to go on anymore."

"You don't know that!"

"Of course I do. And as soon as the sun goes down, the Volturi will kill me."

As soon as I said that, I had a vision of Bella being along with Alice and preventing me from doing exactly what I was doing. But it wasn't real. Alice stood there, alone.

Alice pleaded and pleaded with me, but I didn't listen. I would die today, and that was final.

Night fell and I gathered my strength. It was time to offend the Volturi.

"The Cullens are a better coven then you will ever be!" I shouted.

The Volturi stared at me, shock on their faces. Aro, one of the leaders, was the first to speak. "Well, well, this boy has spunk."

"Doesn't change the fact that he should be dead," said Marcus, another leader.

"No, it doesn't," admitted Aro. "Jane, will you do the honors?"

A little girl who looked to be about eleven years old stepped forward. She stared at me, and all at once I felt a sharp pain go through my body. I tried to scream, but I must've been silenced by one of the other Volturi, for no sound escaped my mouth. It made sense though…to die by the hand (or mind) of a girl, since it was a girl I couldn't live without. Of course, Jane was just a little kid…but all the same, she was female. And thus, I died, going into nonbeing.

I recall that when I was a vampire, I believed that vampires have no existence after death. I now know this is false. And I search the world for something I lost. I do not remember my name, in this drifting afterlife. It hinders my search. However, I have a feeling that I will know what it is when I find it. _If _I find it.


	4. Chapter 4 Thirty Years Later Bella

**The Shade after the Dawn**

**Chapter Four: Thirty Years Later**

**Bella**

Time doesn't mean anything to me. For humans, time is essential. But for us ghosts, it is nothing at all. Just like money, which we cannot use and have no need for, lacking a body that requires nourishment and shelter.

Be that as it may, it took thirty human years after I died for me to encounter a certain someone, who apparently had been important to me when I was alive. It was his house that I visited on the morning after I died.

"Hello, there," he said, coming up to me at a time where there were few other ghosts about. "I feel like I've been searching everywhere for you."

"And I you!" I exclaimed. It was true, though I had no idea why.

"A shame that we can't recall our names, isn't it?"

"Yeah, a godawful shame."

"Do you think we were lovers in life?" he asked.

"Perhaps. But if so, I had another lover, too."

"How do you know this?" He was frowning in ghostly fashion.

"Because he was what we are."

"A _ghost?" _His voice was incredulous.

"Yes. He appeared to me."

This was significant because ghosts can only appear to one person, and they must appear to someone or they wander the Earth forever. Once they appear, they are supposed to "haunt" or "befriend" the person as they see fit. After doing this for a time, they are taken to Heaven, which does not discriminate based on religion or lack thereof. I believe there is also a Hell, but only really damned people like Adolf Hitler have gone there. Those destined for Heaven are never given the facts about Hell.

"Oh, well that's stupendous. Has he gone on to Heaven?"

"Nope," I said, sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"I caused him to cry, by breaking his heart."

Ghosts may not have bodies, but they can cry. However, it requires a really, really traumatic moment to cause this, so it is rare. I had not meant to hurt Al, but I did. And crying is the one thing that will kill a ghost…or cause it to dissipate. Which means that Al is not in Heaven. Because I essentially murdered him, by brining on the tears.

If the male ghost I was talking to hadn't been my lover in life, he would've turned away in disgust then and there. Ghosts cannot stand the thought of dying by crying. But the male ghost stuck around.

"Of course a human would remember when a ghost appeared to them after death," he said.

"Did it ever happen to you?"

"No."

"Oh, well…"

"I wonder why we are dead."

"I killed myself," I said.

"Yes, but _why? _We know how we died, but not why we died. I mean, you can tell when someone died of old age or a disease or even an earthquake. But when it's suicide or murder, you don't know why it happened."

"I suppose…"

"Obviously, something must've spurred you to commit suicide. And I think I committed suicide too."

"You aren't certain?"

"Nope. I may've, but I remember a girl killing me…"

"Then how do you think it's suicide?"

"I'm not sure, but the point is, something must've caused us to want to do that."

"Yup. Wish I knew what it was."

After that, we made plans to attend Ghost City, where there might be answers to our questions. It was also about time we chose to appear to someone. Because we were ready for Heaven.


	5. Alfred

**The Shade after the Dawn**

**Chapter Five: Alfred Goddingham**

A little girl sat on her porch swing in Phoenix, Arizona. Actually, she wasn't that little. Her eleventh birthday had just passed. But she seemed so peaceful. Especially to the invisible figure watching her.

He stared at her in intensity. A part of him willed to stop; he didn't feel it was his time yet. However, others of his kind had encouraged him to do this. And he was curious to learn his former name.

Soon he was visible, though only to the girl on the swing. And her face was ghastly white.

"D-don't be frightened," saith he.

"Are you a ghost?" the girl asked.

"Well, yes. Yes I am."

"Why are you haunting me of all people?"

"Is that what you think this is?" He laughed. This provoked the girl into entering her house in a huff. He followed her by going through the closed door.

When she saw his step in front of her, she screamed.

"Hey, calm down," he said.

But she didn't. And her mother came running.

"What is it, darling?" asked the mother.

"A g-ghost," the girl said, pointing at the transparent boy.

"Oh, Bella, this isn't a good time for games. I have to make plans to climb Mount Everest by Christmas!"

With that, the mother left her daughter.

"Hey!" the ghost exclaimed. "I know my name now!"

"Huh?" asked the girl. This declaration on the ghost's behalf caused her to emerge from shock, temporarily at least.

"I'm Alfred. Um, Alfred Something. I guess I won't know my surname until I find out yours."

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"Your name is Bella?"

"Yeah? So?"

"Well, as soon as I learned your name, mine came to me."

"How?"

"Because I chose to appear to you," Alfred said.

"Appear?"

"Only you can see me. I must show myself to you for a while, and afterwards I'll be off to Heaven."

"This is so weird. I think someone should pinch me so that I can wake up from this crazy dream," said Bella.

"Well, I would if I could, but…" Alfred waved his transparent arms,, as if indicating that he didn't have any physical body.

"Fine, I'll pinch myself," Bella said. She does so. "Ow!"

"Bella, this is not a dream. I am a real ghost and I chose to appear to you."

"Okay, fine. If you say so."

"Now, tell me your surname."

"Swan," Bella said automatically.

"Ah! Now I remember mine! Goddingham!"

"You mean you forgot it until just now?"

"Yes. After you die, you forget everything about your former life…that is, until you appear to someone and find out about _their _life, at which time yours comes back to you."

"Oh I see," said Bella. "But this all seems rather weird."

"Indeed it is. So, tell me something else about yourself."

"Well, when I grow up I want to be a veterinarian."

"Neat. And I just remembered that while I was alive, I dreamed of being a photographer when I attained adulthood," said Alfred.

"When were you alive?"

"Now _there's _something I can answer without prompting." His translucent brow furrowed. "Or maybe not. What year is it?"

"1999."

"Sweet. I died over fifty years ago. 1956."

"My gosh!" Bella exclaimed. "What did you do all that time?"

"All what time?"

"Between then and now."

"Oh. Well, that's hard to explain. Time for us ghosts isn't the same as for you humans."

Then, from another room, they heard someone calling, "Bella! It's time for dinner!"

"Better go," Bella said.

"I'll go with you," said Alfred. "I love watching people eat. Perhaps because I can't do it myself."

So Alfred sat awkwardly at the table, half of his body leaning into it and part of it sitting on a chair with the seatline above his waist. Bella had to pretend that he wasn't there as she ate her spaghetti so that her mother wouldn't get suspicious.

Alfred and Bella talked a lot that night, and Bella thanked the stars that her mother was engrossed in her latest hobby. Renee Swan might be liberal-minded, but if she caught her daughter talking to herself, she would think something was wrong.

That night, Alfred watched over Bella as she slept, not knowing that years later, another, just as dead but more physical being would be in the same spot.


End file.
